this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2025
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Illinois state officials have given national rental car companies official notice that immigration enforcement agents using their vehicles are not allowed to swap the rental’s assigned license plates for other plates to disguise the vehicles, and if they do, the rental car companies could be held liable.

According to documents obtained by NBC News via the Freedom of Information Act, the Illinois secretary of state’s office sent letters to at least 19 national car rental headquarters stating that they had received public complaints of immigration agents switching license plates on rented vehicles when Operation Midway Blitz, an extensive government deportation operation, was active in the Chicago area.

The letters were sent to Alamo, Enterprise, Budget, Hertz, Ace and other vehicle rental companies. They did not respond to requests for comment.

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[–] dhork@lemmy.world 138 points 2 days ago (3 children)

.... And they basically admitted it.

“Our operators comply with federal law and, consistent with the Supremacy Clause, endeavor to comply with state law except where doing so could compromise or interfere with the federal mission and operations,” the DHS said.

Which basically is another way of saying "We do what we want and Illinois can fuck off".

[–] Carmakazi@piefed.social 47 points 2 days ago (1 children)

"Operators" is also an interesting way to describe their officers/agents. They're trying to conflate themselves with the military, specifically special operations.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago

No, I think in this case they may be referencing the relevant Illinois statute. I bet it refers to "Motor Vehicle Operators".

[–] falseWhite@lemmy.world 34 points 2 days ago (1 children)

"We always comply with the law, except when we don't"

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago

“We always comply with the law, because the executive has decreed that we ARE the law.”

[–] Manjushri@piefed.social 4 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Someone needs to go back to civics class and learn what the Supremacy Clause actually means.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Isnt that the clause that makes Donald Trump the supreme ruler, like King Cyrus?

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Unfortunately I think they’re probably right. If you cannot comply with both state and federal law you must comply with federal law first. That’s the supremacy clause.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I doubt there is any Federal law that authorizes Federal employees to fiddle with license plates for cars that are registered with a state.

If the Federal government wants to do that they have their own system to register cars, independent of any state. If they were substituting State plates with US Government plates, maybe they have a point. But they are simply ignoring local laws, because they are inconvenient. The Supremacy clause doesn't allow that.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

10th amendment would like to have a word with you.

[–] chunes@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why do they get a warning?

I don't get a warning when I break the law.

short version? the government has to consent to the suit in order for you to sue them.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

Arrest them!

[–] TurdBurgler@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 day ago

Enforced by the same police that helped ICE be violent towards peaceful protestors?

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 13 points 1 day ago

If Illinois decades to get off their butts and prosecute ICE, they should cross reference the rentals with traffic cameras. Presumably the rentals have GPS trackers - so check the routes they take with the cameras, and see if the plates magically change.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"Official notice"

So it's the rental car companies responsibility to enforce the law?

If they know it's happening, maybe they need to step up enforcement, not pass the buck. But, I suppose that might actually be effective, and we can't have that now, can we?

[–] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So it's the rental car companies responsibility to enforce the law?

Kind of.

These are cars registered with the state, owned by the rental companies. Which makes them their cars, and their liability.

It isn't so much that its their job to enforce the law, but their vehicles being used in violation of the law. If these were federally owned vehicles, they wouldn't be required to register with the state, and it would be kind of irrelevant in that regard.

They aren't though. These are rental company vehicles.

The goal, if I had my guess, is to make rental companies unwilling to rent their cars out due to the liability associated here. By publicly stating it like this, it gives a reason for the rental companies to say they can't rent them out to DHS anymore. That part is just my guess though.

[–] HK65@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah but it seems they are being rented by people in plain clothes, as apparently several companies are already trying to refuse.

In particular one truck rental place was named that they were complaining that their trucks are not for transporting people in the cargo space.

In any case, if I rent a car where I live, and run a red light, commit a speeding offence, park illegally and get it towed, what usually happens is that the car gets treated the same way as any other car, the owning rental company gets charged and fined, and then they put on massive fees and forward the problem to me.

Why can't they just pull over the vehicle, impound it, and have everything happen like it would with anyone else?

[–] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 3 points 1 day ago

Why can't they just pull over the vehicle, impound it, and have everything happen like it would with anyone else?

I really wish I had that answer, to me it makes the most sense too.

Like you said though, the fines would go to the rental company, and thats the liability we are talking about here.

[–] flop_leash_973@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Until someone starts to hold them to account then it is just a suggestion.